Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, rescued three Red Crescent employees from two terrorist kidnappers shortly before 5 p.m. July 3. The soldiers stopped a black sedan at a checkpoint near the Al-Nida Mosque. The two kidnappers attempted to flee, but were detained a short distance from the checkpoint. During a search of the vehicle, the soldiers found two handguns.

Elsewhere, Iraqi army forces raided a rural farmhouse southwest of Baghdad early July 3, capturing 14 members of an al Qaeda foreign fighter cell and killing a key terrorist facilitator. One Iraqi soldier was killed, and another Iraqi soldier was wounded during the operation.

Iraqi counterterrorist forces conducted the raid in the farming community of Qarabawi, targeting three key leaders of an al Qaeda foreign fighter cell, while coalition advisers observed. The targeted leaders were responsible for the overall financial, logistical and operational aspects of this cell, officials said. Iraqi forces seized AK-47 assault rifles, an MP-5 machine gun, a bolt-action rifle, several grenades, and several magazines of ammunition. A car bomb also was destroyed at the scene.

In another incident July 3, Iraqi army soldiers manning a traffic control point thwarted a kidnapping attempt in Ameriyah. A vehicle carrying the victim attempted to run through a checkpoint manned by soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division. The Iraqi soldiers opened fire on the terrorist's vehicle after it approached the checkpoint at a high speed. The victim was thrown from the vehicle as the terrorists escaped capture.

At about 6 p.m., Iraqi soldiers at a traffic control point reported small-arms fire in Antar Square. The U.S. patrol from Battery B was in the area and rendered support. Over the next two hours, terrorists attacked the forces using small-arms fire, rocket-propelled grenades and hand grenades in the areas of Antar Square and Sabah Library. With assistance of combat aviation, the coalition forces were able to subdue the terrorists.

Elsewhere, Iraqi security forces conducted an air assault raid early on July 1 in northern Babil Province, capturing 12 insurgents, including seven cell members from a local terrorist network.

Forces from the Hillah Special Weapons and Tactics unit, or SWAT, assisted by coalition force advisers, raided an objective northwest of Sayafiyah and captured the seven terrorists. All seven of these individuals had warrants issued for their arrest by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, officials said. Five other individuals were also detained during the operation, and the SWAT team seized two AK-47 assault rifles and two Russian made SKS carbine rifles.